Chapter 23 Her Views on Relationships

Fortunately, they left early and avoided a direct collision. When Xia Li got into the car, she couldn't bear to look outside.

Ji Ling noticed her absent-mindedness and her constantly probing gaze, so he tried to look at her too, but found nothing unusual. He then pretended not to care and asked, "What's wrong?"

Seeing this, Xia Li waved his hand and quickly said, "It's nothing."

She thought to herself that although she was forced to get engaged to an older man when she was nineteen, she escaped and the matter was left unresolved. Today was their first meeting in every sense of the word, and they probably wouldn't meet again. There was no need for Ji Ling to know about her shameful past.

A few days later, Xia Li received a sum of money from Ji Ling, the first income from the filming at the orphanage, along with a credit card.

When Ji Ling told her the card's PIN, she was still in a daze of surprise. In the end, she put the card away without touching it. She knew Ji Ling wouldn't care about these things, but she didn't want to feel indebted.

Afterwards, Xia Li was busy with the construction of the studio. Somehow, word got out and Jiang Xue found out about it. She was the first to come to her and even went to the location of the studio.

Xia Li was discussing the placement of equipment with the staff when Jiang Xue arrived. She was taken aback and thought she had met the wrong person.

"What, are you so surprised to see me?" Jiang Xue was about to sit on the counter that was set up next to her when she noticed a light layer of dust on the surface and she awkwardly moved away.

How could she not be surprised? Xia Li wondered how Jiang Xue knew about this. If Jiang Xue knew, Wang Shu and the others probably wouldn't be far behind. She lowered her head to continue dealing with her work, and only after finishing did she ask, "Why are you here?"

Jiang Xue glanced outside, noticing the busy location, and replied, "I was just passing by and saw someone inside who looked like you, so I came in. By the way, do Sheng Minyang and little Wang Shu know about this?"

She was referring to the matter of opening a studio. Xia Li nodded blankly, then shook her head: "I haven't had a chance to talk about it yet."

To everyone's surprise, Jiang Xue suddenly changed her tone: "Why are you so honest, answering every question? Never mind, did you see what happened online?"

Xia Li was completely baffled by Jiang Xue's questions. She rarely paid attention to things online. Was she referring to something that happened to her recently, or something else?

He naturally didn't know, so he honestly replied, "What is it? I don't know."

Jiang Xue shook her finger: "I haven't said anything yet."

She handed over her phone, which contained a variety of messages. Xia Li took a closer look and spotted information related to herself, namely the male celebrity who had been accused of "sexual harassment" by her recently exposed online.

The now-clarified surveillance video has been released, and the tide has turned dramatically.

She asked, "What's wrong?"

Jiang Xue replied, "Where are you looking? Look at this one."

She pointed to the screen with her slender finger.

A male celebrity was administratively detained for soliciting prostitution.

Xia Li appeared indifferent, which shocked Jiang Xue: "Give me some reaction? You seem to have known all along, how boring."

Xia Li closed her eyes and shook her head. After returning the phone, she continued with what she was doing: "I don't know, I just found out."

The innocent are innocent, there's nothing surprising about her. What kind of punishment the male celebrity receives has nothing to do with her.

She already knew in her heart who released the clarification video and helped her behind the scenes.

After hearing her answer, Jiang Xue waved her hand, not caring whether the counter was dirty or not, and leaned against it. "Okay, you always suffer a lot because you're too honest." Then her eyes wandered and she stammered. Just as she was about to say something, Ji Ling suddenly came in from the door.

Jiang Xue immediately stepped down from the counter, stood ramrod straight, her eyes wide open, her pupils filled with shock.

Xia Li was equally surprised; she hadn't expected Ji Ling to come.

Ji Ling hadn't expected anyone other than Xia Li to be here. His brows furrowed slightly, and his eyes narrowed.

As Xia Li was pondering how to explain Ji Ling's arrival to Jiang Xue, Ji Ling suddenly asked, "Have you decided on a name yet?"

He asked about the studio's name, which is currently undergoing the registration process.

Xia Li thought for a moment, then answered somewhat uncertainly, "pomelo".

Generally speaking, you should reserve at least a few backup names in advance, but Xia Li didn't plan to do that. One name was enough. If it didn't pass the review, she would think of another one.

Jiang Xue was shocked that Ji Ling was here, and she also joined their conversation: "Pomelo? Yuzu? Why did you suddenly choose this name?"

Xia Li explained to her, while Ji Ling on the other side also leaned closer, seemingly extremely concerned about the answer to this question.

"Because on the morning I was deciding on the name, I ate a pomelo."

The clouds are light and the wind is gentle; there's nothing unusual about it.

Jiang Xue frowned: "That's it? That's too sloppy."

Xia Li asked doubtfully, "Are you just trying to fool me?"

"Isn't this enough to fool us? It's a good thing you didn't eat anything else that day." Jiang Xue complained, her brows furrowed so deeply that it was hard to believe her pretty features were like that.

Ji Ling asked, "Isn't there anything else?"

Xia Li shook her head: "That's all."

It was really simple; I just ate a grapefruit and didn't have any other thoughts.

Seeing that there was nothing left to talk about, Jiang Xue asked about other things: "Why did Mr. Ji suddenly come here?"

Xia Li's expression froze, thinking that what was bound to happen would happen eventually, and she silently gasped.

Ji Ling's gaze remained fixed on Xia Li, and he didn't seem to want to talk to Jiang Xue much, so he casually asked, "Why did you come here?"

Jiang Xue answered clearly and distinctly, "Just passing by."

Actually, she overheard Han Rui mentioning Xia Li, but she certainly couldn't say that, otherwise she wouldn't be able to hide the fact that she was eavesdropping.

Seeing that Jiang Xue had given an answer, Ji Ling also offered the same explanation: "I came the same way you came."

To Jiang Xue's surprise, her eyes lit up: "I didn't expect this little place to be so eye-catching."

He glanced around as he spoke.

Seeing the somewhat heavy atmosphere, Xia Li smoothed things over by saying, "He is my business partner."

Ji Ling looked down, preparing to retort, but Jiang Xue staggered, making a loud noise that drew everyone's attention.

Xia Li, worried, pulled her aside and asked softly, "What's wrong?"

Jiang Xue waved her hand, forcing an awkward smile: "Haha, it's nothing, it's just too hot."

He wiped away his cold sweat and swallowed.

Xia Li looked up at the air conditioner vent and said thoughtfully, "The air conditioning has been on the whole time..."

Jiang Xue actually came here for two purposes. One was to discuss cooperation, but who knew that Xia Li already had Ji Ling, a wealthy business partner, so her plan had to fall through.

She thought to herself, "Xia Li seems honest, but he's really not fair. He didn't even tell me about something so important beforehand."

Xia Li had no idea what Jiang Xue was thinking and thought she was really going to get heatstroke, so she immediately brought her a glass of ice water.

Ji Ling watched from the side, and Xia Li noticed his gaze, tentatively asking, "Do you want some too?"

Ji Ling turned her head away: "No."

Then Jiang Xue brought up another matter: "By the way, since you're all here, I'd like to tell you something."

Xia Li tilted her head and asked, "What is it?"

Jiang Xue took a sip of water to clear her throat. The ice cubes were so cold they made her teeth ache, so she put the glass back. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Young Master Ji probably already knows about this."

Unexpectedly, Ji Ling immediately retorted coldly, "I don't know."

Jiang Xue smiled awkwardly: "I have to say, you two are quite suitable as business partners. In some aspects, such as personality, you are exactly the same and you will definitely get along very well."

It's like refusing to communicate before even saying a word.

When communicating with people you don't know well, you might be perceived as aloof and guarded.

If two people have known each other for a long time, this way of getting along is exactly the opposite of what Jiang Xue said.

That's stubbornness, stubborn to the bone. Asking few questions but thinking too much drains both oneself and others. Things that could be explained in a single sentence are instead scrutinized over and over again, with endless speculation and conjecture. It's incredibly frustrating.

Xia Li felt embarrassed after Jiang Xue's words. She quietly looked up and glanced at Ji Ling, seeing...

Ji Ling's expression was also not good. His jaw was taut and sharp, his eyes were cold, and he pursed his lips without saying a word.

I don't know if it was Jiang Xue's unintentional words that angered him, or if he felt uncomfortable after being hit where it hurt.

She coughed lightly twice and said briefly, "Get to the point, what exactly is it?"

Jiang Xue closed her eyes, shook her head, and wagged her fingers. She was tall, and her fingers were exceptionally long and slender. "I'm getting married on May 20th."

Since marrying Ji Ling, Xia Li has become exceptionally sensitive to topics related to marriage.

Her body stiffened, she couldn't catch her breath, and almost fell. Fortunately, Ji Ling was watching over her the whole time. Just as she was about to stumble, he reached out and supported her waist, which helped her regain her balance.

The broad palm, through the thin layer of fabric, sent a tingling yet subtle sensation through the warmth. The posture was too ambiguous, and Xia Li, afraid that Jiang Xue would see it, prepared to take the opportunity to dodge away, but unexpectedly met Ji Ling's gaze.

Ji Ling frowned slightly, his eyes filled with confusion at being interrupted. His gaze fixed on him, heavy with worry and pressure.

Xia Li lowered her eyes and looked away, glancing at Jiang Xue in a flustered state.

Jiang Xue had already noticed the abnormality, and with an inquisitive look, she scanned him up and down.

Xia Li's eyelids twitched rapidly. She blinked twice quickly and asked, "When are you getting married? I haven't seen you with a boyfriend."

Jiang Xue replied, "We just talked about it, we got really into it, so we went to get our marriage certificate together."

In Jiang Xue's words, marriage is as trivial as eating, an insignificant matter in life.

Xia Li smiled and said, "Then I congratulate you in advance."

Jiang Xue raised her head and said, "Congratulations can wait. I'm letting you know in advance that I'll send you invitations, so please come!"

Xia Li nodded in agreement.

Jiang Xue's view on love is very simple: if you like someone, date them; if you're in love, do what you're going to do; don't be timid or hesitant. As for the future, if you get along, stay together; if you don't, break up. The world will still turn without a man, and it won't affect your life.

Xia Li is different. Perhaps because Xia Qingqing's marriage was not smooth, she never had any expectations for marriage, not only marriage, but also feelings. Before making a decision, she cares more about whether it is suitable at the moment and whether there will be any accidents in the future. Rationality outweighs emotion, rather than a moment of infatuation.

There was one exception, who had crossed her red line and was now holding her waist, his knuckles idly rubbing against hers, as if he too was pondering something.

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A note from the author: